Out of the frying pan...

And onto my own effing website.

Seriously, I don't know what you're still doing here. Go to my new effing website! Do it! Seriously!

-Jocelyn

So apparently people read my blog...

You know who's awesome?

CocoRosie.

You know who's an asshole?

Me.



Let me explain...

About three months ago, I contacted the press rep for CocoRosie asking for an interview for The God Project (which is on indefinite hiatus due to lack of response). I never received a response and kind of forgot all about it. I mean, the ladies of CocoRosie are awesome and busy and nobody reads my blog, right?

WRONG.

This morning, before trotting off to work, I decided to update you, gentle readers, with some random interesting news concerning the music bizznass. This update may or may not have included some news about a certain Devendra Banhart dating a certain Natalie Portman. For those of you who recall, Devendra Banhart was, until quite recently, dating the lovely Bianca of CocoRosie.

Now I may or may not have said something along the lines of "Best rebound ever. Too bad for whichever pseudo-lesbian of CocoRosie he used to be dating."

Seriously, I'm an asshole. All day at work I was like "I have to take that down when I get home. It's offensive to lesbians AND CocoRosie, both of whom I have no issue with." Unfortunately, it was too late, as at about 2:30 I received the following email:




Hey Jocelyn --

I was just going to write you about a new single that CocoRosie has coming out that deals with the subject of God but then I noticed that you called Bianca a pseudo lesbian on the site today so... thanks for reaching out but I think it's best if we pass on this opportunity.

Best -
Miranda




OOPS.

I mean really, guys, this situation is ridiculous. The ONE day that that line was ever on my blog, CocoRosie's press rep reads it and is like "Well F that S." I mean really, it's kind of hilarious. Also horrifying.

So, sorry Coco. And Rosie. You're not pseudo-lesbians. I'm sure you're wonderful people and you make really rad music. And I am just an asshole who has nothing better to do than make fun of people like Jens Lekman all day.

But really, it is kind of hilarious.

-Jocelyn

So Now You Know!

There's so much big news, guys, that I decided to consolidate it for purposes of faster consumption. Check it.

Devendra Banhart is dating... Natalie Portman?

Seriously. I didn't make this up. This makes sense, actually. I mean they're both well-respected artists who kind of annoy everyone. So I guess they're removing their annoying asses from the dating pool by hanging out with each other. Still, I blame this on Devendra's little featurette in Vanity Fair. He'll be on TRL in approximately four weeks (actually, he probably will because he shot a video with Natalie in it. WTF???).

There might actually be a good music festival in Vancouver

Now I'm not the biggest fan of The New Pornographers, but when they decided to announce an effing MUSIC FESTIVAL in Stanley Park, I decided to stop hating them. The lineup's not out yet, but I'm definitely going.

Goal: to attend as many music festivals as possible this summer, thus degrading into a total douchebag (Sasquatch, I'll see you soon).



Weezer continues to suck

Come on, seriously?



That is all.

-Jocelyn

Lyrics of the Day: Eclipse by The Beta Band

The people asking questions to the people with the answers.
The people with the answers ire the people with the questions.
So the people with the questions asked the people with the answers.
The people with the answers won't tell the people with the questions the answers.

So the people with the questions they ask the people with the answers.
But the people with the answers won't speak to them.
Because the people with the answers give the people with the questions.
just a little bit too hard a time to speak to.

I'm a man who likes to be alone.
I'm a man who likes to think alone.
I don't have too many answers, but I got a whole heap of questions.
I got a whole heap of questions that I won't hide from you.

So low, don't you smile you get high?

So the people with the books they went and stood up on the mountain
to get away from the people with no books.
The people with the books they started reading on the mountain but
they couldn't see a thing because the sky went dark.
I don't know where the cloud cover came from.
I'm just sitting here rocking on the station.

I don't want to be the type of guy
who lives alone, reading books, and never eats a pizza pie.
I don't want to be the type of person sitting alone with a book on my own.

With a book on my own.

The people with the questions got together
with the people with the books and left the answers out
So the people with the answers started to make their way over the hill
to meet the people with the questions and the people with the books

And we all live together on a little round ball.
We all sing together when the cuckoo calls.

I'm not the type best living alone.
Could we live together? Well, I don't know.

I'm not sitting here giving you a lesson.
So I'll just keep my mouth shut for the next few minutes.

Can't keep quiet for long.
I'm a human being.
Can't help singing a song.
I'm a human being.

You won't listen to me.
I'm not an authority.

So the people with the answers met the people with the questions
and the people with the books sat down.
They finally decided to sit around to talk about their problems
to see if they come up with some answers to meet the questions
and some questions to meet the answers.

Well, the leaves on the trees are green.
(Ok we're agreed on that.)
And the roads are not very clean.
(Ok we're agreed on that.)
And the food we eat is not very healthy.
(Ok we're agreed on that.)
And the music we make is not particularly good.
(Ok we're agreed on that.)
And the planets sort of revolve around the sun.
(Ok we're agreed on that.)
And the moon is a big ball with nothing on it, and I don't think anyone's ever been there.
(Ok, so we're kind of agreed to that. so what are we arguing about?)
Well, I don't know...
(Ok. So let's get together and smoke that pizza pie)

Some people with a pizza made me very high.
The people with the questions smile.
And the people with the answers lie.
They lie.

So no pizza for them.

Oh Man

Now I know I feign near-orgasmic excitement at an alarming rate, particularly on the subject of (duh) music, but there are few events in the world of music that are as soul-crushingly awesome as this:

David Byrne and Brian Eno are working on a new album together.

I know, I know, you're finding it hard to contain yourselves too ("Cool! That guy from The Talking Heads and... some other guy!") but try to hold your horses just a little while because this almost definitely totally sweet album won't be out until next year. Perhaps you should spend that time getting (re)acquainted with Brian Eno. Let me help you.

-Jocelyn

Video of the Day: Water Curses by Animal Collective

In case we weren't all obsessed with this song enough.



-Jocelyn

New Wolf Parade!

Remember when Wolf Parade came out with Apologies to the Queen Mary and it was awesome? Remember how that was like 47,275 years ago?

Well, apparently the guys of Wolf Parade have FINALLY taken a break from the 9,000 other bands they're in to record another album, which will be out in June. Yay!

In even more exciting news, their song "Call it a Ritual" has been posted on Stereogum. Thank you, Stereogum. Not sure how I feel about this song though. Perhaps you should check it out for yourself.

-Jocelyn

Raise Your Hand if You Love Animal Collective

That's what I thought. Check this out.

They've got a (most likely) kick-ass EP coming out on May 6th. I find it hard to contain myself.

-Jocelyn

Remember High School?

Oh, the nostalgia. Also, I love Youtube.













Conclusion: black nail polish and Chuck Taylors. And the crushing realization that nobody will ever understand me, ever.

-Jocelyn

Video of the Day: Nantes by Beirut

Thanks, Joe.



What a babe.

Lyrics of the Day: The Good Times Are Killing Me by Modest Mouse

The good times are killing me.

Here we go.

Got dirt, got air, got water and I know you can carry on.
Shrug off short-sighted false excitement and oh what can I say?
Have one, have twenty more "one mores" and oh it does not relent.

The good times are killing me.

Kick butt buzz-cut dickheads who didn't like what I said.
The good times are killing me.
Jaws clenched tight we talked all night, oh but what the hell did we say?
The good times are killing me.

The good times are killing me.
The good times are killing me.

Fed up with all that LSD.
Need more sleep than coke or methamphetamines.
Late nights with warm, warm wiskey.
I guess the good times they were all just killing me.

Got dirt, got air, got water and I know you can carry on.
The good times are killing me.
Enough hair of the dog to make myself an entire rug.
The good times are killing me.
Have one, have twenty more "one mores" and oh it does not relent.
The good times are killing me.
Shit-kicker city slickers who all wanted me dead.
The good times are killing me.
Get sucked in and stuck in late nights with more folks that I don't know.
The good times are killing me.

The good times are killing me.

Yay! Deerhunter!

Ok, remember when I said that Deerhunter was broken up forever, never to return? Apparently I lied. I love being wrong.

Check it.

-Jocelyn

Album Review: Full Moon Film by Karl Mohr

When it rains, it pours. For example, this writer was recently hit by not one but TWO tragedies. First, my hard drive magically stopped existing, giving me cause to bring my computer (which is six months old, by the way, and a MAC, which I was under the impression never break) to the hospital for a brain transplant. Then, to add insult to injury, I came down with a bad case of the plague and missed a bunch of work. That's right, I was sitting at home. Sick. WITHOUT A COMPUTER.

Yeah, it was terrible. I did pretty much an entire book of logic problems. I now officially hate logic problems. I also managed to work my way through High Fidelity, Flight of the Conchords, and Season One of Wonder Showzen, which is soul-crushing but wonderful.

Anyway, you get the idea. It was pretty boring. Luckily, though, I received a piece of mail that temporarily cracked the tedium. It was a lovely little album by Karl "Dance Party" Mohr, who you may remember from the last two posts (I'm thinking of renaming my blog "The Mohr Show." What do you think?), and a note wishing me "butterflies and miracles."

Butterflies and miracles, indeed, gentle readers. More like vampires and 80s theme parties. Or perhaps butterflies and miracles from beyond the grave.

Needless to say, I love it. Not that I don't love the whole synth-rock-emo-pop thing that is so hot right now in independent music, particularly in Canada. It's just that it's awfully refreshing to see something different. Something dark, but not pretentious, and certainly not emo.

Anyway, on to Full Moon Film...

The album opens with "The Slut Within," which singlehandedly earns Karl his "Dance Party" nickname. Then he takes it down a notch with "All Good Seasons," which features a few choice bars from the Canadian national anthem. I know I'm supposed to be a writer and everything, but it's hard for me to describe that using anything other than the word "awesome."

And the awesome just continues with "Storyline," which makes me want to clean my house. For those of you who know me, you understand that this is a big deal. Rarely is anything so motivating. Go Karl.

Aside from a possibly pointless cover of "She's a Rainbow" by the Rolling Stones (sorry Karl, I'm a cover snob), the rest of the album is all up and up from there. It's all a great, wonderful journey into the mind of Karl, whose mind, it seems, looks like a 4am rave among the ruins of a very old European cathedral. It's a journey I am be happy to travel again.

I was worried, upon receiving this album, that I would hate it. I mean, it's one thing to pick on Jens Lekman, who will probably never read this blog and doesn't care what I think anyway, but I don't want to say mean things about nice people who send me music. I can safely say, though, to my relief and delight, that my fears were unjustified. Full Moon Film is, in short, a rad, rad album. Karl Mohr is definitely going places. Watch out, Spencer Krug. There's a new next David Byrne.

And that's the way it is.

- Jocelyn

P.S. Karl has been nice enough to provide you, my loving readers, the demo for "Storyline," which is, as previously alluded to, pretty much the best song ever. Pretty much. Download it here. Also check out his website. Do it.